


Protection

by LoopyLiesey



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows, Gen, Pre-Slash, coda 1.03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 05:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3797653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoopyLiesey/pseuds/LoopyLiesey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur knows about Merlin's magic, and finds it hard to protect someone who doesn't even try to protect themself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protection

**Author's Note:**

> So I started a rewatch of Merlin, and while watching 1.03 there was one particular line that struck me as 'Arthur totally knows'. When he said 'There's no way Merlin is a sorcerer' looking directly at Merlin, almost threateningly. It came across as 'I'm trying to protect you, idiot, now let me.'
> 
> And then this fic was born. Which I'm sure has been done before.

It would have looked odd if Arthur refused to search Gaius and Merlin’s rooms.

That’s what Arthur told himself as he made his way down to the physician’s chambers, even though he knew that Merlin was a sorcerer. He just hoped Merlin was getting better at hiding it. If any of the knights found anything, there was nothing he would be able to do to protect Merlin.

He knew it wasn’t Merlin. Merlin hadn’t been with him long, but he already knew, somehow, deep inside him, that it wasn’t Merlin causing this disease. Merlin wouldn’t do that. Merlin had used his magic to protect Arthur. He wasn’t evil.

Arthur opened the door, trying not to be nervous. It would be fine.

He and the men searched the rooms, and Arthur resisted the urge to yell when Gaius said they had nothing to hide. They had everything to hide and Arthur wanted to help them hide it and yelling would get them all locked up.

“All these books and papers?” Arthur asked.

“My life’s work, dedicated to the understanding of science, you’re quite welcome to read through them if you wish,” Gaius said. Arthur made a face, putting them aside and looking around the room again.

“What’s this room up here?” Arthur asked, pointing up the stairs.

“It’s mine,” Merlin said, which decided it for Arthur. He would search it alone. He couldn’t risk the other men finding anything.

“What do you expect to find in there?” Gaius asked.

“I’m looking for material or evidence suggesting the use of enchantment,” Arthur said. And he hoped he wouldn’t find any. If he did, he would do his best to protect Merlin, but that might not be possible if the wrong people saw.

Arthur was somewhat amazed that even though Merlin had magic, his room still had things strewn across it. And, of course, a book in plain view. Arthur didn’t look closely at it. He knew what it most likely was, and he didn’t want his suspicions to be confirmed.

He stepped over to the cupboard and opened it. Completely empty.

“Merlin, come here,” Arthur called down the stairs, trying to remain calm and in control, “Look what I found.” Arthur instantly regretted his words, knowing what Merlin would be thinking. Merlin came up the stairs.

“I found a place where you can put things, it’s called a cupboard,” Arthur said, hoping that Merlin would understand the hint. Then Arthur moved around the other side of the bed to let Merlin hide the book, and didn’t watch as Merlin did so, though Arthur suspected magic was involved. He pretended to look through Merlin’s belongings as he did so.

He finished his search, asked Gaius a couple of questions, and then he and his men left.

* * *

Arthur didn’t want to arrest Morgana’s maidservant. He knew that she would cause no harm to anyone, but it wasn’t just him that knew. The men knew about the poultice, about the blacksmiths miraculous recovery. They would tell his father, even if he didn’t.

He had to arrest her to protect Merlin. If it was a choice between Gwen and Merlin, then it wasn’t really a choice at all.

He had tried to argue for her, saying there was no evil in her heart (just like there was no evil in Merlin’s), saying she didn’t deserve to die (just like Merlin didn’t deserve to die).

All he’d managed to do was make it worse for the girl, the king ordering that she would die by fire.

Now, all Arthur could do was hope that Merlin and Gaius found a way to stop the disease and prove that Morgana’s maid was innocent.

It was in the middle of a council meeting that Merlin burst in and announced that he was the sorcerer.

“Merlin, are you mad?” Gaius asked after standing up.

“I cannot let her die for me,” Merlin said, looking directly at Gaius as Arthur tried to think quickly. He had to protect Merlin, even if Merlin wasn’t interested in protecting himself. Merlin continued, “I place myself at your mercy.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, Your M-” Gaius started to say when Merlin interrupted.

“I do,” Merlin pronounced.

“Then arrest him,” the king said.

“Father, please, I can’t allow this! This is madness! There’s no way _Mer_ lin is a sorcerer,” Arthur said. Lies. All lies.

“Did you not hear him?” his father asked.

“Yes,” Arthur said.

“He admitted it,” his father said.

“He saved my life, remember?” Arthur asked, hoping that something would get through to his father.

“Why should he fabricate such a story?” his father asked, and Arthur’s head raced.

“As Gaius says, he’s got a grave mental disease,” Arthur said. Not entirely a lie.

“Really?” Uther asked, sitting forward, and Arthur thought furiously.

“He’s in love,” Arthur said.

“What?” Merlin asked, and Arthur could have sworn at him. Did he not see that Arthur was trying to help him?

“With Gwen,” Arthur continued.

“I am not,” Merlin protested.

“Yes you are.”

“No way!”

“I saw you yesterday with that flower she’d given you,” Arthur said, wondering why he suddenly felt upset. Merlin shook his head.

“I’m not in love with her,” Merlin said, and Arthur put his arm around Merlin’s shoulders.

“It’s all right. You can admit it,” Arthur said.

“I don’t even think of her like that!” Merlin exclaimed. Arthur couldn’t believe it. Merlin was determined to die, apparently. This was the only way. If he wanted to save Gwen, he had to be out of prison. If the disease was caused by magic, then Merlin had to be the one to stop it.

“Perhaps she cast a spell on you,” the king said, examining Merlin before he started to laugh. Arthur let out a shaky laugh.

“Merlin is a wonder, but the wonder is that he’s such an idiot,” Arthur said, “There’s no way he’s a sorcerer.” He looked directly at Merlin as he said it, hoping that Merlin would understand. Arthur was trying to protect him.

“Don’t waste my time again. Let him go,” the king said.

After Merlin left, Arthur could feel all of the tension leave his body. He’d managed to protect Merlin from execution this time.

* * *

Arthur would have helped if it had been Merlin asking, and not Morgana, but perhaps it was better this way. He couldn’t let his manservant know just how much he mattered to him. In fact, if Arthur thought about it too long, it scared him a little how much Merlin mattered to him.

An afanc. Arthur had never even heard of it, but he trusted Merlin and Gaius.  

But perhaps his trust was misplaced, because Merlin had been the opposite of subtle about that wind gust.

At least Merlin really was the idiot Arthur claimed him to be. 


End file.
